Man gets life imprisonment for defiling daughter

The High Court in Mukono District has sentenced Tom Mulinde, a 40-year-old man for defiling his daughter for two years from the time she was six years old.

Mulinde, a resident of Katungulu village in Buikwe district was arrested in 2014, after his daughter then went to Police accusing him of continuously defiling her.

He was remanded to Luzira On July 20, which was the last day of his trial, Mukono resident judge Margaret Mutonyi has subsequently sentenced Mulinde based on the evidence the prosecution had adduced before court including his daughter’s testimony.

“The sexual abuse did not happen once or in darkness. He did it several times and different places,” Justice Mutonyi said.

Justice Mutonyi told court that Mulinde is not supposed to live in a community where there are vulnerable children.

“He deserves a maximum sentence to protect him from seeing children and torturing them sexually, Mutonyi said.

She added that Mulinde was not remorseful at all as he allowed the victim to testify against him making her recall the past painful moments.

“Mulinde was even just enjoying his daughter testifying against him and court saw tears in the young girl’s face,”Justice Mutonyi told court.

The Lady Justice Mutonyi said the act will have life long impact on the victim since she was too young at the time of she was continuously defiled.

Justice Mutonyi said the victim was left in the hands of Mulinde thinking he would take responsibility as a father after the mother separated with him, and that after his arrest the relatives also abandoned the victim.

Justice Mutonyi said the victim is now staying in a children’s home and there is no need for Mulinde to go back to society though he has other children.

Mulinde pleaded to court for a lighter sentence saying he had learnt a lesson which would change his lifestyle and also asked court to consider the four years he had been on remand.

“Since Mulinde has become a preacher let him preach in prison for the rest of his life as I sentence him to life and this should be an example to fathers who are left with children,” Justice Mutonyi told court.